Electric generator.



No. 704,956. Patented July l5, I902.

W. H. COTTON.

ELECTRIC GENERATOR.

(Application filed Feb. 5, 1902.)

3 Sheats-$heet I.

(No Model.)

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W. H. COTTON.

ELECTRIC GENERATOR.

(Appfication filed Feb. 5, 1902.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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' No. 704,956. Patented luly I5, |902. W. H-. COTTON.

ELECTRIC GENERATOR.

(Application filed Feb. 5, 1902.) (No-Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

y m n fil UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER II. COTTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF SEVENTEEN- TWENTIETHS TO HARRY L. IECK, PHILLIP I-IICKLEY, AND IVILLIAM P. OWENS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 704,9 56, dated July 15, 1902.

Application filed February 6, 1902. erial No. 92,690. (No model.)

To whom it y 067%: 'rangementof the partsin operation; and Fig. Be it known that I, WALTER II. COTTON, a 8 illustrates the current phase, showing the citizen of the United States, and a resident of character of the current impulses derived by Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illithe primary coil of the transformer.

nois, have invented certain new and useful This invention is applicable either toa mag- 55 Improvements in Electric Generators, of neto or an electric-magneto generator. The which the following is a specification and latter is shown in the drawings. which are illustrated in the accompanying In the organization of the machine in its drawings, forming a part thereof. entirety, 10 indicates a hollow base or bed to This invention relates to adynamo-electric plate, from the upper sides whereof extend 6o generator for producing electric currents of the field-poles 11, provided with the usual high potential, such as are required for elecfield-coil 13. trical igniting 'dev icesas, for example, the Journaled in suitable bearings 1a in the sparking apparatus of explosive engines, frame of the machine and rotating between therapeutical apparatus, (to. the field-poles 11 is a shaft 16, on which is The invention comprises, in general terms, fixed an armature 17 for exciting the fielda generator having a working circuit through magnet, the terminals 18 of the coil 13 being which passes all of the current generated and connected to brushes located in holders 19 means for automatically breaking the circuit and adapted to bear against the commutator 20 at periods when the current generated is at 20 of the exciting-armature. Also fixed to maximum potential. the shaft 16 and between the poles 11 is an The invention also comprises generally a armature 21, in the Winding of which an altergenerator and a transformer, the primary coil nating current is induced, the current passof which is in direct connection with the aring through the terminals of the coil to a com- 2 5 mature-coil of the generator, and means 10- mutator, from which itis taken for use. The

cated in the connection for cutting out of the parts heretofore described are arranged in circuit the primary coil of the transformer, substantially the usual manner and form no the parts being so related that the current depart of myinvention except in so far as they veloped in the armature will be cut or disrelate to the mechanism now to be described.

30 rupted when the current therein is at maxi- The commutator employed by me is of novel mum, whereby a current of high potential construction and is so arranged and acts in will be induced in the secondary coil of the such manner with its collecting-brushes that transformer. the current generated by the armature 21 is The invention further comprises the arcut at maximum, the circuit being opened 35 rangement and combination of parts hereintwice during every revolution of the shaft. after fully described, particularlydesignated To this end the said commutator comprises a in the claims, and illustrated in theaccompapair of rings 22 and 23, which are secured to nying drawings, in which a sleeve of insulating material 24., fixed to the Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section shaft 16, as by the set-screw 25.

0 on the line V V of Fig. 2, some of the parts The ring 22 is unbroken; but the ring 23, being shown in full lines. Fig. 2 is a plan which is insulated therefrom by a rib 26, is view of the generator. Fig. 3 is a section on composed of conducting-sections 27, alternatthe line X X of Fig. 1, showing particularly ingwith insulated or non-conducting sections the arrangement of the plates or sections of 28, and the shaft 16 being cored out one of 45 one of the collecting-rings of the generatingthe terminals, as 29, of the coil of the armaarmature commutator. Fig. 4 relates to a deture 21 passes through the shaft and is contail of the commutator. Fig. 5 is a section nected with the ring 22, while the other teron the line Y Y of Fig. I. Fig. 6 isa section minal, as 30, is led through the shaft and on the line Z Z of Fig.1. Fig. 7 is a diagramback through a passage 31 (shown in dotted 5o matio view of the generator, showing the arlines in Fig. 5) in the insulating-sleeve to a too plate 32, connecting the conducting-sections 27 at the opposite sides of the ring 23. The dead or non-conducting sections 28 are prefably made of metal insulated from the sections 27 in order to provide a smooth and even bearing-surface for the brushes.

In the construction illustrated only two conducting-sections in the ring 23 are employed, there being but two pole-pieces in the armature. It will readily be understood that if a greater number of pole-pieces are used the conducting-sections must correspond thereto.

Bearing each on one of the collecting-rings 22 23 are spring-pressed brushes 33 34, connected to the terminals 35 of the primary coil of a transformer 36. This transformer is preferably located in the hollow base 10 of the generator, and the terminals of the secondary coil thereof are led to binding-posts 37, to which the conductor in circuit with the igniting or other translating device may be connected.

The operation of the generator will be best understood by reference to the diagrammatic view seen in Fig. 7. The position of the armature 21 with relation to the poles 11 indicates that the current induced in the circuit thereof is at maximum, and at this point in the cycle one of the conducting-sections 27 of the ring 23 is just leaving the brush 34. The brush then comingin contact with the following dead section 28 the current is immediately disrupted, cutting out the armature-circuit with the primary coil of the transformer and inducing a current of high potential in the secondary coil thereof. For the next quarter-turn of the armature-that is to say, from its position as seen in Fig. 7 until it reaches the position seen in Fig. 6, or while the current would ordinarilybe running down to zero-the circuit being open, no current is generating. At zero-point the second conducting-section of the ring 27 comes in contact with the brush 34, coacting with the ring 23, and the circuit is again closed and remains so during the third quarter of the rotation of the armature 21 or until the current again reaches maximum, when the second dead section of the ring 23 is moved into engagemement with the brush and the current again out as before andasecondimpulseinducedinthe secondary coil of the transformer, and so on. The current induced in the primary coil of the transformer will be of ascending strength, as indicated in the diagram Fig. 8, wherein is shown the current generated during four rotations of the armature 21 and the periodic impulses, it being understood that the current is cut at maximum and generation started again at the zero position of the armature.

Oil-cups 38 may be provided over the shaft bearings 14, and to one end of the shaft a driving-pulley 39 is fixed.

Preferably the brushes 33 34 of the gener= ating-armature are mounted in a cap 40, which incloses the commutatorrings 22 and and screws onto the end. of the frame of the machine. By turning the cap 40 the brushes may be adjusted as desired with relation to the commutator rings, and the brushes of the exciting-armature 17 are carried by a similar cap 41, bolted to the opposite end of the machine and inclosing the commutator 20. A hood 42 may also be placed over the field-coil 13. The caps 40 and 41 and hood 42 are designed to protect from dust the parts inclosed thereby.

While I have shown the exciting and generating armatures mounted upon a common shaft and within the influence of a common field, I do not limit myself to such arrangement, it being immaterial so far as the operation is concerned in what manner the field-magnet is excited. The arrangement illustrated, however, is preferred, as the parts are assembled in compact form, the construction of the machineis greatly simplified, and the operating parts are thoroughly protected from dust.

I claim as my invention 1. A sparking apparatus comprising a dynamo having a working circuit through which passes all of the current generated, and a circuit-breaker constructed to break the circuit at periods when the generated current is at maximum potential.

2. In combination with an electric generator and its circuit, a circuit-breaker for opening the generator-circuit at the periods when the current generated is at maximum potential.

3. In an alternating electric generator, in combination, a field-magnet having poles, an armature movable in the magnetic field, a commutator having one of its rings divided into sections, alternate sections being respectively in and out of the armature-circuit, the parts being so disposed relatively that the commutator brushes pass the division between such sections when the pole-pieces of the armature are at points in the magnetic field of the maximum magnetic force.

4. In a dynamo-electric generator, in combination, a generating armature, a transformer the primary coil of which is in direct electrical connection with the generating-an mature, and means in said connection for cutting out the coils of the generating-armature when the current generated thereby is at its maximum.

5. In a dynamo-electric generator, in combination, a generating armature, a transformer the primary coil of which is in direct electrical'connection with the generating-armature, and a cut-out in said connection for automatically cutting out the coils of the gen erating-armatu re when the current generated thereby is at maximum.

6. In a dynamo-electric generator, in combination, a generating-armature, a commutator mounted on and insulated from the armature-shaft and comprising a pair of rings one of which is composed of alternating conducting and non-conducting sections, one of the IIO terminals of the armature being connected to the conducting-sections of the sectional ring and the other terminal to the other ring, a brush bearing on each ring,and a transformer, the primary coil of which is in electrical con nection with the commutator-brushes.

7. In a dynamo-electric generator, in combination, a field-magnet, a shaft, an excitingarmature and a generating-armature on the shaft and within the field of the magnet, a transformer, the primary coil of which is in direct electrical connection with the generating-armature, and means in said connection for cutting out the coils of the generating-an mature when the current generated thereby is at its maximum and cutting in the same when the current is at its minimum.

8. In a dynamo-electric generator, in combination, a field-magnet, a shaft, an excitingarmature and a generating-armature on the shaft and within the field of the magnet, a transformer, the primary coil of which is in direct electrical connection with the generating-armature, and an automatic cut-out in the connection for cutting out the coils of the generating-armature when the current generated thereby is at its maximum and cutting in the same when the current is at its minimum.

9. In a dynamo-electric generator, in combination, a hollow base, field-magnet polepieces extending above the base, a shaft mounted between the pole-pieces, an excitin g-armature and a generating-armature fixed on the shaft, and within the common field of the pole-pieces, a transformer located in the hollow base and the primary coil of which is in direct electrical connection with the generating-armature, and a cut-out in the connection for cutting out the coils of the generating-armature when the current generated thereby is at its maximum.

10. In combination with a generator having a single working circuit, means for automatically breaking the circuit at periods when the current generated is at maximum potential.

WALTER H. COTTON.

\Vitnesses:

ARTHUR B. SEIBoLD, LoUIs K. GILLSON. 

